Rant: My trucker life shows pre-made meals can beat homemade costs

Everyone swears by cooking from scratch to save money, but with my schedule, that often leads to wasted food and extra trips. Just yesterday, grabbing a ready-to-eat stew at a stop was cheaper than buying all the separate bits that would spoil before I could use them.

4 comments

4 Comments

fiona7492mo ago

Hold up, that math only works for your specific situation. Most people at home can batch cook and freeze meals without the same waste issues. Your point about convenience is good, but it doesn't save money for everyone.

mason2732mo ago

But where's the data that most people actually have the space to do that? @evan_burns is right that living situations vary way more than you think.

kevinallen2mo ago

Yeah, and that's the thing @evan_burns gets right. I lived out of a hotel room for a month for work, and trying to buy groceries was a joke. Half of it went bad because I had no real kitchen. Sometimes grabbing a single ready-made meal is just the cheaper move when you add up all the waste.

evan_burns2mo ago

In my town, the Walmart has those ready-to-eat bowls for like four dollars. Not everyone has a big freezer for batch cooking. Food waste is a real problem for lots of people, not just truckers. If you're busy or live alone, buying pre-made can save money by cutting down on spoiled food. The original post makes a good point about different lifestyles.